Elihu Continues
I Am Frightened
1I am frightened
and tremble all over,
2when I hear the roaring voice
of God in the thunder,
3and when I see his lightning
flash across the sky.
4God's majestic voice
thunders his commands,
5creating miracles too marvelous
for us to understand.
6Snow and heavy rainstorms
7make us stop and think
about God's power,
8and they force animals
to seek shelter.
9The windstorms of winter strike,
10and the breath of God
freezes streams and rivers.
11Rain clouds filled with lightning
appear at God's command,
12traveling across the sky
13to release their cargo—
sometimes as punishment for sin,
sometimes as kindness.
Consider Carefully
14Job, consider carefully
the many wonders of God.
15Can you explain why lightning
flashes at the orders
16of God who knows all things?
Or how he hangs the clouds
in empty space?
17You almost melt in the heat
of fierce desert winds
when the sky is like brass.
18God can hammer out the clouds
in spite of the oppressive heat,
but can you?
19Tell us what to say to God!
Our minds are in the dark,
and we don't know how
to argue our case.
20Should I risk my life
by telling God
that I want to speak?
21No one can stare at the sun
after a breeze has blown
the clouds from the sky.
22Yet the glorious splendor
of God All-Powerful
is brighter by far.
23God cannot be seen—
but his power is great,
and he is always fair.
24And so we humans fear God,
because he shows no respect
for those who are proud
and think they know so much.